New York State Bail Bondsman Association

516-564-5183

A Message from our Capital Region Representative: Jay & Rick Bernardo

Bernardo – Goldstein & Quinn Agency, Inc. has been in the insurance and bail bond business for 55 years, domiciled in the Capital District of New York State. We have traditionally serviced on a daily basis from North of Dutchess County to the Canadian border; New York border of Mass. and Vermont to Herkimer County. Company principals are Bill, Rick, and Jay Bernardo. Bill, originally a Brooklyn native, is a walking history book of the legal community in Upstate New York. He has hunted and recovered absconders from inside Canada to Florida. The bail industry in NYS has benefited from Bill’s charisma and professionalism creating a large network of Judicial, Legislative, and DFS friends.

The bail business in the Capital District of Upstate New York is experiencing similar trends to other areas of the country. Harmony, professionalism and cooperation in our industry will be paramount to our viability and success in the coming years. Judges seem to be aware of the political trends to push the judicial community toward pre-trial release and a complete overhaul of the bail system through bail reform. “Risk Assessment”, the new buzz-phrase is being discussed amongst area Judges. They are reading and hearing about it, and with the financing from George Soros and the Laura & John Arnold Foundation (Est. 2008) anticipation of stronger propaganda campaigns are looming. Over 5.5 million dollars in grants has been allocated by the Arnold Foundation for Bail Reform alone. Releasing of and leniency for the accused is the trend even with felony charges of assorted levels. We need to be proactive.